Global Courant 2023-04-20 14:21:44
As the fighting rages in Khartoum and other cities in Sudan, we review key developments.
This is the situation on Thursday, April 20, 2023:
To fight
Another ceasefire attempt in fierce fighting between Sudanese troops and paramilitary forces in Khartoum has failed. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries said they would be fully committed to a full ceasefire for 24 hours from 16:00 GMT, just like the military. Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan reported from Khartoum that fighting could be heard in the capital minutes after the proposed ceasefire. “We could hear heavy artillery fire near the army high command, as well as near the presidential palace and the central parts of the capital.” By early Thursday morning, the smoke and fires billowing from the city in recent days had abated, as live TV feeds over Khartoum showed, before fighting erupted again. Gunfire was heard in Bahri and residents reported violent clashes west of Omdurman, where they said the army had moved to block the arrival of RSF reinforcements. The RSF issued a statement on breaking the ceasefire, saying it was attacked in Omdurman and inflicted losses on the army in response, including the shooting down of two helicopters. Some of the most intense fighting takes place around the grounds that house the army headquarters and residence of Sudan’s military ruler, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
Civilians and victims
International powers, struggling to evacuate civilians after the airport and several districts hosting embassies were mired in violence, have repeatedly called for a ceasefire, to no avail. Dozens of hospitals have been shut down due to fierce fighting amid a shortage of medical supplies. Dozens of Sudanese students trapped for days by fighting near Khartoum University escaped with the help of the Sudanese army. According to the UN health organization, nearly 300 people have died in the past five days. The syndicate of doctors, which monitors the casualties, said at least 174 civilians were killed and hundreds injured. On Twitter, residents of each district have mobilized support and solidarity under Arabic hashtags such as #Khartoum_Needs. On WhatsApp, hundreds of users joined a group to pool resources.
Diplomacy
The Sudanese army said 177 Egyptian soldiers captured by the RSF in the northern town of Merowe have been evacuated to Egypt. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken with the rival generals as part of diplomatic efforts to end the fighting.
